Caught in the Cat's Claws
by cnaheartsbotdf
Summary: It's been 10 years since Kyo's mother passed. He's having a rough time, and Yuki comforts him. What happens when the cat finally catches the rat, but in a completely different way than he intended? What will Yuki do when he realizes he doesn't mind being caught? WARNING- MxM pairing, references to traumatizing events, and suicidal talk. Reviews would be appreciated, a lot. OOC
1. Chapter 1: Frustrated

**This will be experimental. If I get good reviews and feedback over the first chapter or two, then it will go further. Also, please excuse any crappy writing and my absence this summer. I existential crisis-ed and it sucked. I'll try to be on here more again. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim rights to Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter One: Frustrated **

The day was almost over. Kyo was happy for that. It meant going home and hiding from people and conflict. He was tired and tempted to just get up and leave his last class. He knew he'd get in trouble for it, and he wanted to avoid any and all conflict.

Yuki sat in class, studiously taking notes, like a good student. Kyo sat at the back of the classroom, ignoring everything and waiting for the bell. He absently tapped his pencil against his knee watching the clock. When the room went eerily quiet, his eyes snapped to the front of the classroom, realizing the teacher must have asked him a question. A few students chuckled as the teacher stood expectantly at the front of the room. The cat scoffed and looked away again. Yuki refused to look back with everyone else because he knew that if he saw Kyo, he'd know something was wrong. They were not friends, so Yuki didn't want to feel sorry for him.

The teacher sighed and asked someone else to answer. After class was over, Kyo rushed from the room. Yuki slowly gathered his things as Tohru approached him.

"Uhm, Yuki?"

He turned to her with a smile. "Hey Tohru. Is something the matter?"

She shook her head and looked down. "I'm not sure. Does Kyo seem off lately?"

The rat huffed. "Isn't he usually?"

She gave him a dirty look. He put his hands up, as if surrendering.

"Alright, alright. What do you mean?"

"Like- I don't know. Like something is on his mind. Something serious."

Yuki thought for a moment. "Yeah, I suppose. Being the cat usually comes with that though."

"But Yuki, what if being the cat has nothing to do with it?"

The silver haired boy shouldered his bag. "Ask Shigure. Maybe he's noticed."

She nodded slowly, offering a small smile and they left for home.

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.

.

When they arrived, they found the house dark. Tohru called out, but she received no answer. She went into the kitchen and turned on the light.

"Yuki!"

The other teen entered the room, thinking she'd found something horrid, but was relieved to see she had found a note from the dog.

"_Hello! I do apologize for not being home to give my lovely Tohru a welcoming hug, but I have been whisked away for an important adventure. I will return in the morning. Good day!"_

Yuki snorted. "Either Shigure is hiding from his editor to play a cruel trick, or Aya dragged him off for some annoying purpose. Whatever happened, he isn't here. Stupid cat seems to be gone too. Do you need any help with dinner?"

She looked around. "Hmm, no I think I should be alright. I might walk to the store to pick up a few ingredients."

Yuki chuckled. "Well, don't pick up too much or you won't be able to get it all home."

Tohru blushed and nodded. They both went upstairs to change out of school clothes and go about their afternoons. Tohru went to the store and Yuki went outside to his garden. He walked slowly, enjoying the sun and warm breeze. As he neared his garden, he saw feet. The closer he walked, the more he saw of the mystery being. He saw familiar cargo pants.

Yuki stood by Kyo's feet, staring down at the cat, who was apparently sunbathing. He cleared his throat, causing the orange haired teen to crack one eye open and look up at him.

" 'the hell do you want?"

"Uhm, you're in my garden. Why?"

"'Cause."

"Because…?"

"It's away from people, away from the house. Do your thing, I'm not in the way."

Yuki sighed and realized he'd waste too much time if he kept arguing. He needed to weed or the pesky things would overrun everything he'd worked for. He knelt in the grass and put on his gloves and began to yank the intrusive plants from the earth.

After a while, Kyo sat up and watched him. Yuki sat back and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"What?"

The cat shrugged, and the silver haired boy noticed that Kyo was pale and had circles under his eyes.

"Kyo, are you okay?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"You don't look like you. Your pale. I was just asking."

Kyo ran his hand through his hair. 'I'm not."

Yuki looked at Kyo. "Not?"

"Not okay."

Yuki furrowed his brow in thought before it hit him. "It's been ten years."

Kyo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He started taking deep breaths. Yuki stood and walked over to him before crouching again.

"Hey, when was the last time you ate? Or slept?"

"Couple days."

Yuki stood up once more and grabbed Kyo's upper arm, pulling him to his feet.

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.

Once back to the house, Yuki made Kyo go upstairs, with the rat following behind. He watched as Kyo quickly changed into shorts and laid on his bed. He looked tense. Yuki walked further into the room.

"Roll over?"

"Why the hell do you want me-"

"Just do it!"

The cat eyed him warily before doing as he was told. A second later, he felt the bed shift as Yuki sat next to him. The rat probed up his spine gently.

"What are you doing?"

"You're too tense." He began to massage Kyo's shoulders. "If I can get rid of some of these knots you might sleep a little easier. And this doesn't leave these walls."

"Whatever." His voice was muffled as he had buried his face in his pillow.

A few silent moments passed, and as the knots loosened themselves, Kyo felt more relaxed than he had the last few weeks.

"Yuki?"

"What?"

"Uh, thanks."

"Yeah."

They heard the door downstairs and Tohru's voice calling out to see if anyone was home.

"I'm gonna go see if she needs help. Try to take a nap. One of us will get you for dinner."

Kyo nodded and rolled onto his side. Yuki stood and walked downstairs.

**That's it for chapter one! ****Let me know what you guys think! Like I said before, I'll post another chapter before I decide if the feedback is enough to keep this story going. If not, I'll do one conclusion chapter. SO PLEASE REVIEW! I have a lot of ideas.**


	2. Chapter 2: Questions

**So Here's chapter two! Hope you guys like it?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Two: Questions**

Yuki was downstairs, sitting at the table watching as Tohru finished dinner. When she entered the dining room with the food he stood. She gave him an odd look.

"I'm just gonna go get Kyo down here, don't worry." He offered a small smile before walking up the stairs.

When Yuki opened the door, he saw Kyo curled up facing the wall, snoring quietly. The rat walked over and looked down. He hated to admit it, but Kyo looked adorable when he was asleep. He gently tapped the cat on the shoulder, startling him. Yuki chuckled and Kyo glared up at him.

"Dinner's ready."

With that, Yuki left the room.

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After dinner, Kyo immediately went back up to his room to try to sleep again. He tossed and turned the rest of the night, not able to fall back into the blissful slumber he'd been given before dinner. He growled to himself and sat up. He ran his hand through his tousled hair and stood up. He grabbed his hoodie and climbed out his window and up to the roof. He laid on the cool metal and watched the sky grow brighter with sunlight.

When he heard rustling in the house, he knew that the other two were getting up for breakfast and school. He sat up and slowly made his way down from the roof. As soon as his feet touched the floor, Yuki opened his door.

"Don't you knock?! What if I was naked?"

"I've seen you naked before, Kyo." Yuki crossed his arms. "Are you going to school?"

The cat shrugged. "Didn't know I had a choice. I'd go crazy being home. At least school makes me have to focus."

Yuki stepped into the room. He shut the door and looked at Kyo. "You didn't sleep again."

"So." Kyo looked at the floor, feeling odd at the rat's concern over him.

He heard a sigh and looked at Yuki through his hair.

"Do you want me to get you something? You could call Hatori and get sleeping pills."

"I don't like sleeping pills. They make me weird even after they were supposed to wear off."

Yuki could tell that Kyo wanted to say something else.

"What is it Kyo?"

"What?! Nothing!"

"Why don't I believe you?"

Kyo rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepishly at the rat. "It's weird."

"You're weird. It's not new."

Kyo rolled his eyes. He sat on his bed with a yawn.

"Do you want me to rub your shoulders again?"

"Maybe."

Yuki walked over to the orange haired teen and sat beside him. He made a motion with his hand and Kyo turned his back to the other teen.

Yuki began to rub knots as hard as cement from Kyo's shoulders. After a moment, he sighed.

"You need to talk to someone. All of your pent up fear, regret, pain, whatever it is that's bugging you, is going to just keep making this worse."

"No one wants to listen to me bitch. I don't get why you're doing this."

"Despite what you may think, I don't hate you. You just piss me off. A lot. I may not relate to what you've been through, but I could at least help if you'd let me."

Kyo was silent a moment. "You'd actually want to listen to me?"

"Would it help?"

"I don't know. No one's ever tried to help, except sensei."

"Well, what's keeping you so tense right now? Is it your mom?"

"Yeah. It's been ten years. Everyday I just remember the funeral. What everyone said. How they were all blaming me. I don't think that they realized that I understood what they were saying because I was so young. I know she killed herself. And I know it was my fault."

"Kyo, if she chose to do that, it wasn't on you. Our family had no right to say that."

"But it was. If I wouldn't have been born the cat, she'd be alive."

"You can't choose what you are or what you're born into."

"She hated me."

"I don't think she did. I think that she really did love you, she just wasn't able to handle what our family said to her because she was the mother of the cat. Is that why you're always so angry? Because you think everyone hates you for being the cat?"

"I hate me for being the damn cat! It just makes sense that everyone else would too! Why don't you?" He turned around and looked at Yuki, tears threatening to form. "Why are you doing this? Is the rat trying to trick the cat again?"

Yuki looked offended. "I don't hate you because I don't truly know you. Not the you that is deeper than the cat. I want to help you. I don't know why, but I do. Just because you think everyone hates you, doesn't mean that everyone has to treat you like shit, okay?"

Kyo's head fell. He wrapped his arms around his waist. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

Yuki put his hand on Kyo's shoulder. He was about to say something else when Tohru hollered up to them that breakfast was done.

"Just, don't assume that everyone wants to hurt you okay? Get ready and come down to breakfast."

He stood and walked quietly from the room. Once Yuki slid the door shut once more, Kyo felt tears stream down his cheeks and he buried his face in his lap.

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The three of them were walking to school when Haru and Momiji ran up to them. Haru escorted Tohru away from the other three, causing Yuki and Kyo to share confused looks. Kyo rolled his eyes and the hyperactive rabbit grabbed his arm and tried to get him to guess something.

"I don't care! Damnit Momiji, let go of my arm."

"Waah! Yuki, Kyo's yelling at me!"

Yuki chuckled and ruffled Momiji's blonde hair. "He's grumpier than normal. I'd let him alone today."

Momiji sniffled. "Okay. Will you guess what we're excited about?"

Yuki listed a few different things, that were apparently all wrong.

"Haru and I talked to Hana and Uo and we're taking Tohru to a secret weekend getaway! But you and Kyo can't go!"

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with me and Kyo, hmm?"

"Nothing, but Haru didn't get to go last time, neither did Tohru's friends."

Yuki nodded, glad that he and Kyo would be alone. The rat wasn't done trying to get it through Kyo's thick skull that he could be happy.

They arrived at school, and the rat was distracted by the thought of actually being alone with Kyo.

**So yeah. What did you guys think? Should I keep going? Leave me a review and let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3: Truth

**I was gone forever again! I'm so sorry! I hope this chapter will make up for it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Three: Truth**

When they got home from school, Tohru excitedly told Shigure about the planned weekend. Shigure decided that while Tohru was away, he'd go to the Sohma estate and annoy Hatori. Yuki sat and listened to all of the planning, thinking of how utterly alone he and Kyo would really be. He knew that Kyo would probably get really frustrated and fight, but Yuki wouldn't fight back. He needed Kyo to see that he was on his side.

After they all had finished their dinner, Kyo disappeared to the roof again. Yuki waited in the cat's room until said cat decided that he wanted to try to sleep again. It was only an hour before the orange haired teen came creeping back through the window. The room was dark and he didn't notice the rat sitting on his bed.

Kyo's back was to his bed. When Yuki cleared his throat, Kyo jumped and spun around, a look of shock on his face.

"How the hell did I not notice you? What do you want?"

"To talk about everyone being gone this weekend. We can talk without interruption."

"Oh… I guess you're right."

"Well, they're all leaving in the morning, so we can go get breakfast somewhere. We could eat there or bring it back or whatever. Sound good?"

Kyo nodded and Yuki smiled as he stood to leave the room. Kyo touched Yuki's arm before yanking his hand away as if he'd touched fire. Yuki gave him a questioning look. The other teen avoided his eyes and looked at the floor.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Yuki saw Kyo give a small nod. He chuckled.

"Let me go get my pajamas on. I'll be back in a minute. 'Kay?"

"Yeah…"

Yuki left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He walked quickly to his room and changed into his sleep clothes. As he moved back towards the cat's room, he heard Tohru on the phone in her room. She sounded extremely excited about the weekend. And being Tohru, she also sounded overwhelmed at her friend's generosity.

Yuki smiled as he knocked gently on Kyo's door.

" 's open."

Yuki went in and saw Kyo sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Want another back massage?"

"Do you mind?"

"No. Not if it will help."

Kyo nodded and laid on his stomach.

_This is just because of the years since his mom. After he's back to normal, he's gonna act like this never happened…. Hell, I probably will too._

With that thought running through his head, Yuki sat beside Kyo and forced the tense muscles away.

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When Kyo woke up the next morning, he felt more relaxed than he had in weeks. Months even. He startled himself, however, when he realized he wasn't sleeping alone. He nearly fell out of his bed. When his jolt seemed to have not awoken the rat, he was glad. Yuki was just like Aya. Beautiful, though Kyo would never say that outloud.

After a moment, he timidly poked Yuki's cheek, fearful of his morning temperament. He didn't particularly feel like starting his day by flying through the wall. When the rat didn't respond, he poked him a bit more forcefully, earning a soft sigh and Yuki snuggling into the blankets.

"Yuki?"

"Hn, what?"

His voice was barely audible.

"Comfortable?"

Yuki nodded, making his hair messier.

"Who knew the prince wasn't such an elegant sleeper."

"Shut it." Yuki pushed at Kyo, but not with much force. To anyone else, they would've seen flirting, but Kyo just saw that Yuki wasn't going to murder him.

They could both hear people moving about downstairs.

"Well, I suppose we should probably go down there, huh?"

Yuki nodded while sitting up. He stretched then looked down at Kyo.

"You realize that unless you move, I'll be forced to climb over you, right?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm going." Kyo moved and stood up, stretching so far back that his back popped.

Yuki chuckled, stepping around the cat.

"How do you feel?"

He shrugged in response. He was about to say something when Momiji's voice echoed up the stairs to them. He was calling for them.

"Come on, Kyo. If we don't hurry, he's gonna come get us."

Kyo shuddered and walked to the door. Yuki followed close behind as they walked down the stairs. As they entered the dining area, they saw Momiji, Haru, Uo, and Hana all standing around.

"Took ya long enough." Kyo glared at Uo.

"Excuse the hell outta me for wanting to sleep."

Uo just smirked. Tohru looked a little worried that Kyo might start yelling at her for it being too damn early, but to her relief, and surprise, he didn't. They all chatted until the taxi came for Tohru and the others. Yuki and Shigure waved as the car drove off. Kyo stood by them just watching. He wished he wasn't so closed off sometimes, but he felt like he'd be judged for waving too.

When the vehicle was out of sight, the three of them went back inside. Kyo wandered back to his room and Yuki watched him with sad eyes.

"Yuki."

The rat turned to look at the older Sohma.

"What's going on with him? Do you know?"

"Yeah. It's been ten years."

The dog looked down. "That explains it."

"Yeah. He's not handling it well at all."

"Maybe I should stay then."

"No, I'm gonna talk to him. I already have. He won't fully open up if you're here. It's better if you go."

Shigure nodded. "I'll get my stuff together. I'll be out of here within an hour or so."

Yuki nodded once, before walking up the stairs to get dressed for the day.

**Short, but hey at least it's a chapter right? Right? I'm sorry for disappearing all the time, but life, ya know. . . SO yeah! Review, let me know what you thought. Keep going, stop, I need feedback. thanks for reading :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Alone But Not Alone

**Based on reviews, this will at least get to 5 or 6 chapters. Yay! I had so many good ideas for this. Without further ado, here's the next chapter. AND! They will probably become more OOC as this goes. I'll try to keep them as in character as I can, but let's be honest. Almost any fanfic will make characters OOC because of characters not being together, if that makes sense. XDXD**

**And, yes I was gone a while. I do have stuff to do, and I just finished a commission so, getting paid for work came before anything else I do as a hobby. As the commission is done now, I should update more regularly. Thanks for being patient.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Four: Alone But Not Alone**

Once Shigure was gone, Kyo ventured back downstairs. He found Yuki flipping channels in the living room. Said silver haired teen looked to the doorway. Kyo waved awkwardly, not seeming to think he was allowed in the same room. Yuki raised a hand and gestured for Kyo to come sit with him. The cat timidly stepped into the room and sat stiffly on the edge of the couch. He didn't want to talk about his mom, but he feared that he would have no choice.

"Relax."

"I don't think I can. I know that you're gonna ask about my mom."

"I won't talk about that unless you want to."

Kyo looked at the rat. _When the hell did he get to be so considerate?_

"Oh." was all the orange haired boy could say.

The room was silent, save for the TV chattering quietly against the other wall. Yuki wasn't pushing Kyo to start. Yuki did want to help, and letting the cat talk when he wanted to would make him open up better than if he tried to force everything out of him at once. After a few moments of the TV going Kyo mumbled something.

"What?"

The cat sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"I said: I want to ask you something first."

"Oh, uh, okay. What is it?"

"Why do you want to help me so much. I mean really. I've only ever been a brat to you, and it's not like I could for sure say I would try to help you if you were fucked in the head like me. So, why?" He looked at Yuki, and sure enough, the rat was baffled.

"I told you before Kyo, it's not like I hate you. Do we get on each others nerves? Hell yes. But do we have each other's backs whether we know it or not? Yes. I don't think we've ever truly _hated_ each other. And, if someone doesn't help you, you're going to die of sleep deprivation. I know that talking will be hard, and might take more than this weekend to help you, but you have to start somewhere."

Kyo nodded, satisfied enough with the rat's answer. "Well, ask something then. Sitting here in silence is really awkward."

Yuki laughed, and Kyo hated that he enjoyed the musical sound.

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After a couple hours, they were getting closer to actually talking about Kyo's mom. Up til then, they'd talked about how school was a huge stress, and Tohru's friends always coming over freaking him out. Yuki knew that Kyo was not only stalling, but also gauging how much the rat was truly willing to help. Kyo seemed content with talking and finally brought up his childhood.

"So, I guess it's time to stop being a pussy, no pun intended, and talk about my parents, huh?"

Yuki laughed abruptly, before covering his mouth. "Sorry, that was funny. Uh, if you want to start with that, yeah. If you wanna wait til we've talked a bit more like this, that's fine too."

Kyo liked that Yuki wasn't forcing him to say anything. He liked that the atmosphere wasn't leaving room for judgement. For the first time in his life, Kyo felt like he could be himself in front of another person, especially another Zodiac member.

"I wanna talk about my dad…"

Yuki nodded. "When was the last time you saw him?"

Kyo swallowed hard. He didn't like thinking about that day. "My mom's funeral. When everyone was blaming me." His voice cracked. "How could they think it was my fault? I didn't choose this! It wasn't fair!"

Kyo buried his face between his knees and fisted his hands in his hair. Yuki moved a little closer and rubbed his shoulders.

"Our family is full of judgmental asses. You probably know that better than anyone. And it isn't fair. What all did those people say to you?"

Kyo's shoulders trembled as he took a shaky breath. "They were saying that she couldn't stand looking at me anymore. It's true, she was always constantly watching me. Always checking this damn bracelet!" He shook his wrist to emphasize his statement. "They kept talking about how it should have been me to die, not her. They said she should've killed me when they found out I was the cat. How could they say that about a child?"

Yuki saw a tear hit the floor and knew these memories were probably the root of a large portion of the problems that he had and might have into his adulthood.

"They said it because they're feared what they didn't know, which meant they lashed out at you. I'm sorry. I never truly knew the things our family said to you. I never realized it was worse than what I've said to you. I'm sorry, I was just like them."

Kyo looked up at the other teen. "You aren't like them. You could never be like them."

Yuki gave him a sad smile, seeing the tears waiting to fall.

"How about we get some lunch? We could go into town and get something since I can't cook."

Kyo nodded. "Just, nowhere that sells food with leeks in it."

"Alright." Yuki responded with a laugh.

**So, that's it for this chapter. I really will try to get chapter 5 out hopefully tomorrow or the day after. review? Please? I know I was gone a while again, and I didn't mean to be, I just find it hard to focus on writing when I'm at home lately. I'm not sure why. But I will try harder to be more active again! ! ! ! **

**And note, if you leave me your lovely thoughts, I'll be more motivated to post the new chapter sooner, so be sure to leave a review. **


	5. Chapter 5: What Happens in His Memories

**Alright, so. This chapter might be "triggering" I guess is the word. This is where the suicidal talk comes in. And I got 1 -one!- review for last chapter. If you guys want this story, I need to know what you guys thought. Input is how I get better, so please review this chapter. -puppy eyes-**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Five: What Happens in His Memories**

Yuki and Kyo were walking back from lunch, leftover boxes in hand. The walk was silent, except the light sound of gravel shifting beneath their feet. Kyo enjoyed just being with someone. He didn't feel like he needed to wear his mask. It was nice. They were nearing the house, and Kyo was thinking about what else may come up in their discussion. He bit his lip, hoping Yuki would just stick to asking about his past and stuff about his mom. He didn't want to talk about her, but there were things he wanted to talk about even less.

As they walked into the house, Kyo's anxiety skyrocketed. When they went into the kitchen to put their food into the refrigerator, Yuki cornered the cat.

"What?"

"What's wrong? You have a weird look on your face. You have ever since we left the restaurant, and it got weirder and more noticeable the closer to home we got."

Kyo looked to the floor. "It's nothing."

"Really? After all the talking we've done today, I can tell."

"Damnit! What do you want?"

Yuki took a step back. "The point of getting Shigure out of the house was so we could talk. Right? Talk to me. Please?"

Kyo looked at Yuki from the corner of his eyes. He looked genuinely concerned.

Kyo's shoulders fell. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. Its just that after talking about that day, I can't get it out of my head."

Yuki nodded in understanding. "There's more to it though, isn't there?"

Kyo sighed in defeat. "I don't want to talk about it though. Not today. We could talk more about my mom, but not this." He gestured to his head, meaning what he was currently thinking.

"Alright. Wanna go back in the living room? Or we could take a walk to my garden and talk?"

"Let's go outside. I feel stuffy in here."

Yuki nodded and turned away, leaving the cat to follow.

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Once at Yuki's "secret base," they sat in the grass near the edge of the well maintained earth.

"So… Yuki. Do you have any questions that actually pertain to my mother, or more about the day of the funeral?"

"Do you have any good family memories?"

He shrugged. "Kinda. Let me guess. 'What is it?'"

Yuki nodded. "As bad as everything seemed, it couldn't have _all_ been bad."

"Yeah. I guess., The only thing that comes to mind that I would consider a good memory is when we went to the beach. I woke up one morning to dad carrying me to the car. They'd packed it up with food, towels, extra clothes, blankets, a tent. We drove for a couple hours, singing to random songs on the radio." Kyo was ripping up blades of grass and twirling them in his fingers as he spoke. "It felt like we were a real family for a change. It was nice."

Yuki smiled. "I never had any family road trips. Aya is so much older, that we never really did anything like that. What happened when you got to the beach?"

"We got there and swam for a bit. Yeah, I know, you must be thinking about my dislike of water. When I was younger, it didn't bother me. I don't know why, it just didn't. We had lunch and after that mom and I walked around picking up pretty rocks. I still have one. We swam again before dad barbecued dinner. We set up the tent and built a bonfire. We made s'mores and watched the sky. That day was literally the only day I ever felt normal. The next day when we got home, dad started acting like he always did. A few months later is when mom.. you know…."

"That sounds like that day was fun though."

"It was, but I hate remembering it."

"Why?"

"Because anything good in my childhood was ruined the day my dad decided I was a monster."

"Oh." was all Yuki was able to say. He really did feel bad about the way Kyo was feeling.

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The next morning, Kyo awoke to the sound of bird chirping, annoyingly right outside of his window. _Damn. I can't believe we stayed out there talking til 3 in the morning. _The cat stretched.

The cat looked at the top drawer of his bedside desk. He felt guilty looking at it, but he knew he'd feel better. He opened the drawer and grabbed a small grey lockbox. Kyo pulled a key from underneath his mattress and unlocked it. Inside, he stared at an old barber's razor and a lighter. He thought for a moment before grabbing the lighter. The teen set the box to the side and flicked the lighter, making a small flame burst to life. He put the flame to the heel of his palm, letting it burn him. Kyo knew not to make it a burn that would need Hatori's attention. After he deemed the burn to be enough, he locked the instrument back in the cruel little box, guiltily shoving it back inside the drawer.

He stood and grabbed clean clothes and went to the shower. Little did he know, that Yuki saw what he had done through a crack in his door.

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Kyo went downstairs after getting out of the shower, hungry for the leftovers of the previous day's lunch. As he entered the kitchen, he stopped short. There, in the center of the table, sat his lockbox. He felt himself break out in a cold sweat. He swallowed hard when he felt Yuki enter the room.

"Kyo, we need to talk about this box."

"No we don't." The cat spun to face the silver haired teen. "Why the fuck did you go snooping in my room?!" Kyo punched Yuki in the jaw.

The rat just looked at him solemnly. Kyo slapped him. Yuki still just stood there.

"Fight back, damn you!"

"No."

Kyo pushed him. "WHY?"

"Because that won't help. Hit me all you want, but we will talk about this."

Kyo pushed him again, knocking him into the wall. Kyo slammed his hands on either side of Yuki's face. When he saw the look he was being given however, all the rage seemed to melt from his body. He sunk down to his knees.

"Why?"

"I care, whether you believe that or not. And what I saw. I don't want to see that. Ever. Again. Tell me what you're feeling when you open that box. What drives you to do that?"

Kyo looked up at him, tears falling down his face. "You-you saw?"

Yuki nodded, sinking to sit next to Kyo on the floor. He looked more upset than Kyo thought he ever would look for him.

"I… I don't wanna be here.. anymore."

"You're not going anywhere, Kyo."

Kyo sobbed, hating that he was being so emotional. "I want to die. Give me a reason I shouldn't feel like that?"

Yuki leaned forward, gently pressing his lips against Kyo's for a brief moment. "Because. I'll help you. I'll be your reason."

**Hehehe! I kinda like that ending. XD Review? I think there will be 1 or 2 more before I'm satisfied. I don't think I want this to get too long. If I get enough reviews, however, I might extend it, or do a sequel. But I need input. So please leave me your thoughts **


	6. Chapter 6: Breaking Through

**I am a horrible person, I know. I said I'd start updating regularly, but I didn't. I'm sorry. I had a close family member die, so I've been mourning and helping clear out their house with the rest of my family. I really do want to get back into this. I think once this story is complete, that I might not post a chapter then let people just wait. I might try to type it all out and then upload every fews days or once a week. I feel like I should actually get a schedule so I can actually upload the way I did when I first joined here.**

**BUT! Here's a new chapter, and please forgive me! I hope you guys can understand my absence, and understand that I feel guilty for not posting very often.**

**NOTE-Yes, both are pretty OOC towards the end of this chapter. It's meant to be that way for what I am trying to portray.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Six: Breaking Through**

Kyo sat in stunned silence, looking at Yuki. He had a blank mind and didn't know what to do or say. He simply touched his fingers to his lips, wondering if that had really just happened. Yuki's hands were resting on his knees. He looked at the rat and saw the sincerity in his eyes.

"You…. really would want that? Like, to help me that much?"

Yuki smiled. "Of course. That's what I've been saying, isn't it?"

Kyo smirked slightly. "Smartass."

Yuki laughed, and Kyo let himself enjoy the sound. "Is it? I can't tell from here if it's smart or not."

Kyo chuckled and shook his head, looking away. "You're an idiot."

Yuki moved to look into the cat's eyes. "Made you laugh, didn't I?"

"You did. Look, I really am sorry. I just-"

"You don't have to explain. I get it. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up quite like this, but you are kind of stubborn and I wanted it to hit you hard."

"Speaking of being hit," Kyo gently grabbed Yuki's jaw a turned his face away, "I got you pretty good."

"It doesn't hurt. It's fin-" Yuki was cut off by Kyo gently kissing his jaw where there was a bruise forming. He was surprised, and was even further silenced when Kyo turned his face back towards him and kissed him. The rat melted into Kyo's arms, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss. Kyo felt like he was floating. He felt like he was being accepted by someone, fully, for the first time in his life. It was bliss.

After a few moments, Yuki pulled away, panting lightly, and rested his forehead against the cat's shoulder. Kyo kept his arms around Yuki, feeling like if he let go, he'd wake up and it would have all been a terrible dream that he could never have.

After another quiet moment, Yuki moved away from Kyo. He had a slight flush on his cheeks, and Kyo thought he looked adorable.

"So, I wasn't expecting that. Like, damn."

Kyo snorted at him. "I'm full of surprises."

Yuki raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that a promise?"

Kyo chuckled as he stood up. He held his hand out, and shivered slightly when Yuki's soft skin touched his. Once Yuki stood next to him, Kyo looked down at the floor.

"So, uh, what are we doing with that?" He made an empty and ashamed gesture towards his lockbox.

Yuki placed his hand on the cat's shoulder. "We are going to take it outside. Grab it and follow me."

Kyo did as he was told, curious and cautious as to what he was doing. As he walked behind the rat, he kept looking down at it, feeling like this burden might be over.

.

.

.

They went to Yuki's garden. The silver haired teen knelt down and pulled Kyo down beside him.

"Care to explain what we're doing?"

"We're going to put that in the bottom of a pot."

Kyo raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. "What for?"

Yuki grabbed an empty pot that was a few feet away, blowing a spider off of the rim. "Put it in here while I go get some dirt.

Yuki stood and walked away, and Kyo felt like he was left with far more questions than answers. But again, he did as he was told and set on its side, as it wouldn't fit on it's bottom, standing tall in the pot, but not tall enough to reach over the rim. He looked up to see Yuki walking back over with a big garden soil bag and a small hand shovel. He set the dirt down without a word, and took the shovel over to a small, lonely rose bush. He knelt down next to the rose and carefully dug around it.

Yuki brought the delicate plant over to the pot and carefully sat it atop Kyo's box.

"Wanna get your hands dirty?"

Kyo shrugged. "What am I doing?"

"Get handfuls of the dirt and carefully fill in around the box and roots."

Kyo dug his hands into the bag, and was surprised to feel that he enjoyed the cool texture of the soil as he dumped handfuls to the bottom of the planter. As the dirt rose higher, he felt the guilt leaving him. Kyo felt like this rose was a symbol of Yuki forgiving him. After the rose had been fully relocated into the pot, Yuki pushed it towards the cat.

"This is yours. Keep it alive. If this rose dies because you tried to get this box, it's because you chose death over life. Care for it, respect it. Just because something can hurt you, like the thorns on this, doesn't mean you have to let it. This has been alone in the garden for a long time. Like you. You don't need to be alone anymore. So, with this, I want you to promise me that you'll try to live everyday the best you can. And if it's too much, I'm here for you. Can you try, for me?"

Kyo felt his eyes burn and he picked up the pot and hugged it to his chest.

"I won't let it die! I promise!"

Yuki smiled. "Let's get back to the house and find something for dinner."

Kyo stood and followed the rat back to the house, holding the rose close, worried he might fail.

**Short, I know. But better than nothing. I do kinda think the next chapter or two will be it. But, I would still love input about my writing and what you think of the story, so PLEASE leave me a review! Especially what you thought of the little rose metaphor thing. I kinda like it haha Thanks for the patience and I'm sorry I don't post very often anymore.**


	7. Chapter 7: A Rose by Any Other Name

**Title doesn't really have much to do with this chapter, but I like how it sounded after last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya. (I am also, obviously, not Shakespeare)**

**Chapter Seven: A Rose by Any Other Name **

They arrived back at the house just in time to hear the phone ringing.

"I'll get it, go put that in your room."

Kyo nodded and turned to walk up the stairs. Yuki walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?...Oh, hey Shigure."

"_How is he?"_

"I think we've made a little progress. It'll take more than this weekend, but it's a start. I need to get him to talk about his mom a little more though."

"_Well, tread lightly. If he feels cornered, he won't talk. He might get physical."_

"He already has. And don't worry, we didn't break your house."

Shigure chuckled on the other end. "_Well I do appreciate that, but if you had, this time would be an exception. But, I called to say that I'll probably be home sometime tomorrow afternoon."_

"Alright. Hopefully we'll get more figured out between now and then. See you tomorrow."

Yuki placed the phone back in it's cradle after the dog said his goodbye, then he walked into the kitchen to figure out what to do for dinner.

.

.

.

Kyo sat on the edge of his bed looking at the rose. The pot was sitting in the middle of his desk, the rose looking like it was already half dead. When Yuki called for him, he went down the stairs and into the kitchen. The rat's back was to him.

"So, got any tips on how I can revive that little thing. It doesn't look so lively to me."

Yuki jumped a little when Kyo spoke, turning around quickly. "Damnit! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Kyo laughed. "Sorry."

"Oh don't be so entertained."

"Anyway, what can I do to revive the rose?"

"Water it, make sure it gets plenty of sun. I'll need to pick up a little more fertilizer that you can put a layer of on top. All I had was that plain soil. I can get it tomorrow."

Yuki turned back around with a smile on his face. The cat ventured closer, worried that Yuki was cooking. When he got closer to the counter, he saw that the rat was chopping up leeks, carrots, and potatoes.

"Leeks. Really?"

"They're just to give a little flavor to the meat. You don't have to eat them."

"Where did you learn to not burn water?" Kyo asked as he moved right next to the other teen.

Yuki smacked him lightly in the chest. "Tohru taught me a few things. It's easy and tastes pretty good. I've done this recipe a few times for myself. That's why I chose it. It also doesn't take a long time."

"Hmm. As long as I don't have to eat those nasty abominations, I'll be good."

The rat chuckled. "No, I won't make you eat them. I just want you to see that they do have benefits to cooking."

"I'll be the judge of that. So, is there anything I can help with?"

Yuki smiled again. "Yeah, you can get the water in this pot," he tapped his finger against a stew pot, "and put it on the stove on high."

Kyo picked up the pot and walked to the sink. "How full?"

"About two thirds of the way."

The cat filled the pot before putting it on the stove and twisting the knob to turn on the heat.

"Grab the salt and shake a little into the water. Once it starts to boil, we'll put the carrots and potatoes in there."

Kyo nodded and added salt to the pot. Once the water was boiling, Yuki handed him the cutting board with the chopped vegetables and Kyo scraped them into the pot.

"Put the lid on it."

Kyo did and then leaned against the counter to watch Yuki put rice into the cooker. After that, the rat walked over to Kyo and sat up on the counter next to him.

"Now we wait."

"Smells pretty good. Tohru would be proud that you didn't burn the water."

Yuki laughed. "Yeah. She was really patient when she was teaching me though, so if I had failed, she would feel guilty that she had told me something wrong. She is Tohru after all."

"She is. I can totally see her doing that too."

They both laughed. Kyo looked up at the silver haired boy. "I'm kind of ruining the moment here, but you're gonna ask more about my mom, aren't you?"

Yuki gave him a sad look. "Yeah. That is your main issue. Your dad's a jackass, so I don't think wasting more time on him would be all that beneficial. You can bring up the things you want to talk about, so if I ask something you don't want to address yet, just tell me."

Kyo nodded. "Thanks. I really never expected you to be so understanding. I never thought anyone would ever be able to understand."

Yuki put a hand on the cat's shoulder. "I do, and I'm glad to help."

They talked about how to care for Kyo's new rose, to how easy it was to be bad at cooking, all through dinner.

.

.

.

After dinner was cleaned up and the dishes were done, the two teens sat facing each other in the living room. Kyo was still nervous, but he did actually want to talk to Yuki. After the last few days, he'd seen that he really was genuinely trying to help him.

"I, uh, I don't know where to start."

"Well, do you wanna start with the not so good stuff, and save the good memories for the end to lighten up?"

"We could do it like that, yeah."

"Well, then, what's the first darker memory you want to talk about?"

The orange haired boy thought a moment. "Probably the first time I saw my parents fighting because of me."

"They let you see them? Seriously?"

"Well, mom didn't want me seeing that. Dad didn't give a shit. As to be expected. But yeah, it was the middle of the night, and I woke up during a storm. It scared me. I was probably 4 or 5. I went down the hall to see if they were awake and I heard yelling. Then I heard my dad saying things about how she should be ashamed that she brought a monster like me into this world. When I heard that, I walked as quietly as I could and I got close to their door. It wasn't shut all way, and I saw my mom hit the floor."

"He hit her? What a pig!"

Kyo nodded. "That was the first time I realized that I truly hated him. If anyone was to blame for her death, it would be him. I didn't ask to be born. I didn't ask for all of the hate from our "relatives." I just wanted to be a family."

"I'm sorry you saw that. It's awful. How often did you see them fighting?"

"Once every couple weeks. I'm sure there was a lot more that I wasn't home to see. Mom always had bruises on her arms and around her wrists. She'd occasionally have one on her face. If he went for her face, at least he was smart enough to get it into her hairline. But I always saw it when she'd pick me up to see if I still had my bracelet."

"Okay, if I ever see your father, I don't know if I'll want to restrain myself from smacking him. And I have a feeling the more we talk the more I'll see how awful he is."

"The abuse wasn't the worst I'm sure. He drank a lot too. Especially in the months leading up to her death. Like, there were times that in a drunken rage, I'm almost positive that he forced her to do stuff. I don't want to say it, but I'm sure you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean, and I wouldn't want to say it either."

"Want to know what I think?"

"Hm?"

"I don't think she killed herself. I think he did it because with her gone, there would be no one to protect me from him. Or at least that's what I think he thought."

"Because after her death sensei took you in."

"Exactly. He wasn't expecting someone to want me."

"So you really think your father could've done something like that?"

"I do. I mean you've seen him. He's a pretty imposing figure. And with her mental state from his abuse, it would've been easy for him to do. I just never knew what I could do to prove it. I still don't know what I could do. I mean, get him drunk enough and he might talk, but who would get him drunk? Last time I saw him he smacked me for being in his sight."

"You should tell Hatori or Shigure you think he did it. I mean, Hatori has erased people's memories. He might know how to get into someone's mind to see what they've done."

"Holy crap! I forgot about that! Shigure went to see Hatori this weekend right? So he'll be driving the mutt home?"

"I figured he would, yeah."

"Will you talk to Hatori with me?"

Yuki reached across the table and laid his hand over Kyo's. "Of course I will."

Kyo smiled. "If we can figure out the truth-"

"Maybe you can stop blaming yourself."

"Yeah."

**This chapter went in a bit of a different direction than I was expecting haha! And it was a lot more dialogue focused. Let me know your thoughts! I might think up a sequel rather than leaving it off to find out the truth. Or at least extend out the number of chapters. So yeah, thanks for reading :3 Review please! **


	8. Chapter 8: Digging Deeper

**Think I'll just make this a bit longer than I initially thought. So maybe 10-12 chapters. I was originally only thinking of 5-8, but this story has been so dragged out due to my lack of updating so it's gone a little differently than I had originally planned, so yeah. Things change XD hopefully this going a bit longer will be a good thing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Eight: Digging Deeper**

They were sitting on the couch when the phone rang again. Yuki got up to answer it and was only gone for a moment before returning.

"Who was it?" the cat asked, looking up to the standing teen.

"Tohru. She said she'll be home in the morning, and that she hopes that you and I haven't killed each other."

"Everyone is always so concerned with that."

Yuki laughed. "A few months ago they had good reason to worry."

"True. So we're expecting Tohru in the morning, when is Shigure getting home?"

"He said he'd be here sometime tomorrow afternoon."

Kyo nodded. "This weekend went by really quick, didn't it?"

Yuki sat back down. "Yeah. But we figured out some stuff. Do you wanna keep talking or do you wanna watch a movie or something?"

"We could keep talking for a little while. Maybe a movie in a little bit."

"Sounds good. So, what else do you wanna talk about?"

"Well you said to talk about darker stuff first, so I could talk about better memories. I mean, pretty much none of it was really "happy" per se, but you were right the other day. It wasn't all bad."

"Alright, what was your favorite thing to do with you mom?"

The cat gave a small, sad smile. "She liked to paint. So before I was old enough to go to school, when dad was at work, she'd sit me on a stool beside her and sing to me. I'd watch her paint for hours. She was pretty good too. I know my dad still has some of them. I kinda want one."

"Did you ever paint, or did you just watch?"

"I painted once or twice," Kyo chuckled. "I was terrible."

"You were little."

" I know, but still. Most kids paint a sun and it, despite being an absurd blob, usually is identifiable as a sun. I painted a sun and it looked like a weird- like a weird _thing_. I don't even know, but whenever I painted, mom always asked what the sun was. I'd tell her it was a sun and she'd laugh. Some of the few times she did. It was nice. She was always tense and afraid, so we weren't truly happy, but it was fun."

"She laughed at your sun?"

Kyo smiled. "Yeah. But I never got offended. I think it was because she wasn't focusing on making all of her attention on my bracelet. I felt like I wasn't a burden on those days."

"I don't think she ever would have thought you were a burden. I think she was just worried because of your dad."

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Did you ever do anything else with her?"

"Not really. She wasn't allowed to leave the house unless dad was with her. He was a possessive jerk."

"I'm sorry. No wonder you always like running off. Now that you aren't living with him, you're free to go where you want."

"I still get yelled at though. Whether it's sensei or Shigure, people get mad when I go off alone."

"Well, you've disappeared for long periods of time. I never said it, but when you were gone for a few months, and sensei didn't even know where you were, I was really scared. I just kept imagining you hurt in the mountains, no one there to help. And I always was afraid that you were suffering. There were even days that I'd thought you ran off to kill yourself. I was relieved the day you came home. But then you kinda yelled at Tohru."

"You really thought that? Why? Running off was a normal thing for me."

"All of us have always known you suffer torment for being the cat. We've all felt bad even though we were guilty of treating you the way others did. We should've known better. No we aren't exactly the same, but we're all cursed, so we understand."

"Yuki, when did you change? I mean, when we were kids, you were pretty cynical."

"I was, but that was childish self importance. Once I grew up a little, I realized it was stupid. I'm not any better than you or anyone else. I envy you honestly. You can do what you want. But me, if I acted out, I was always punished by Akito. I was so angry that you could get away with it and that Akito didn't particularly have an interest in you. I wished we could trade places. It's different now though. What I envy in you, are things you don't see in yourself."

"You sound like Tohru. Not like that's a bad thing, but just saying."

Yuki smiled. "It isn't a bad thing. She knows what she's talking about, despite people calling her dumb. She isn't, a little careless with herself, but she's just so kind and wants to see the good in everyone."

"And she brings out the good in them. Everyone's noticed how we don't actually fight anymore, and they've all said it's because of her."

They sat in silence for a moment. Kyo looked out the window with a sigh. "It's getting dark. Wanna turn some more lights on or do we want to put in a movie?"

"What would we watch?"

Kyo shrugged, "No idea. Something scary? Funny? What do you feel like?"

_If I say scary, that would be an excuse to cuddle up with him._ "Scary?"

"Grudge?"

Yuki shuddered in his mind. The Grudge series freaked him out. "Sure."

Kyo looked at him like he knew Yuki's fear. And if he did know, Yuki was glad that he said nothing.

Kyo walked up to his room to retrieve the movie. When he re-entered the living room, he saw that Yuki had moved to the floor with blankets. He smirked. "Comfy?"

The rat nodded as Kyo went to the TV and turned on the DVD player. He placed the disc in the tray and grabbed the remote. He walked back to where the other teen was sitting and sat beside him. The cat hit the menu button, and once the menu was up, he pressed play.

**I know, I know. Stereotype that the horror movie they'd watch is the Grudge, but I've only ever seen the Americanized Grudge and Ring series. So, I didn't feel like acting like I knew another movie, especially for next chapter. And really guys, please leave reviews. I don't want to post chapters if I can't know what you think. I want to know if the direction I'm going is good or not, so really, leave a review. I haven't got even one from my two newest chapters yet. So until I get at least one, this will be the last chapter for now. I need input to know if I should even bother with this story anymore. Yes I know, crying for attention and reviews, but I am being honest. Sorry if that bothers anyone. I don't mean to sound so whiny, but I'd like to know. :/**


	9. Chapter 9: In the Dark

**Thank you kitkatkati and Malon1227 for leaving me reviews on my newest chapter. I really appreciate input from my readers and I'm glad to know that my request to hear someone's thoughts didn't fall on "deaf ears," so to speak. So thank you guys! ily :D Also, I guess I should technically put a warning here that this chapter may get a bit smexy ;D and as usual, they're pretty OOC due to the nature of this particular story. :) **

**I'm sorry this took so long. We had a huge string of storms that kept knocking out internet/power. Ik ik excuses, true reasons, but still excuses. /.\ forgive me?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Nine: In the Dark**

Kyo leaned back against the couch, finding a more comfortable position. Yuki watched the opening credits and waited. He was positive that Kyo knew his plan. But he didn't care. If the cat knew, that meant he was going along with it.

They watched the first bit of the movie quietly. Yuki had scooted closer throughout the movie and took the opportunity of it showing Yoko's torn jaw to bury his face against Kyo's chest. The cat put his arm around the other boy with a chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Looks like your little plan worked."

Yuki blushed and looked away. "What plan?"

Kyo smiled. "Uh huh." The cat grabbed Yuki's chin and turned his face back towards him. Yuki leaned forward, wrapping his fingers around Kyo's wrist. He pressed his lips against the cat's, thinking that he could get used to the feeling of kissing him and being held by him. Kyo bit at Yuki's lip, which earned a small gasp and said rat kissing him harder.

.

.

.

The movie ran on, but they paid no attention to it. By the time the movie neared the end, Kyo was between Yuki's legs and biting his neck. Yuki was moaning and clutching at Kyo's back, desperate for more. The rat already had several dark marks painting his pale neck, and it seemed Kyo was determined to give him many more.

Kyo ran his hands up Yuki's sides, pushing his shirt up. Kyo pulled the shirt off and quickly removed his own before kissing Yuki passionately. The silver haired teen wrapped his legs around Kyo, forcing him closer.

The cat smirked against Yuki's lips and rolled his hips down. Yuki dug his nails into Kyo's arms, breaking the kiss to cry out.

Kyo licked up his neck before biting his earlobe. "I'm glad we're alone." He whispered.

Yuki shivered. "Me too, but please tell me you have more planned?"

Kyo's eyes flared with lust, before he growled a yes to the rat. Yuki kissed the orange haired teen as his fingers nimbly undid the other's pants. The rat slid his hand into Kyo's jeans, rubbing him through his underwear. Kyo moaned and pushed against the rat's hand.

Yuki flipped Kyo onto his back and straddled him, leaving his own marks on the other's darker skin. He rolled his hips slowly, making Kyo dig his fingers into his hips. Yuki, after deeming the bite mark to be dark enough, began kissing his way down Kyo's chest and stomach. Kyo began breathing harder, feeling his heart flutter with energy. When the silver haired boy reached the hem of Kyo's jeans, he slowly pulled them down, never looking away from the other's eyes.

When Kyo's jeans were off, Yuki began to palm him, still making eye contact. Kyo was mesmerized by Yuki, watching the emotions flit across his beautiful face, seeing the raw desire in his amethyst gaze. Kyo was getting drunk from everything, and he knew that Yuki was feeling it too. Then, before he knew it, he felt Yuki's mouth around him, and he couldn't form a coherent thought.

Kyo's hands found their way to Yuki's hair, feeling the rhythm he had going. He was gasping for every breath. He'd never felt like he did in that moment. Kyo felt like his entire body was tingling with electricity and that the very fibers of his being were aflame. Again, without realizing the rat had moved, he was being kissed.

The cat moved his hands and quickly removed Yuki's pants. They were floating, getting high off of the skin contact from the other. Both teens were breathing hard and desperate for more. Yuki broke the kiss by sitting up. He looked down at Kyo, cheeks flushed and his lips pink and slightly swollen. The rat grabbed Kyo's hand and brought it to his mouth, sucking on three fingers. Kyo moaned at the sensation, aching to feel more.

His desire was fulfilled when Yuki let go of his fingers. The cat's hand moved to Yuki's warm entrance, preparing him slowly. Yuki put his head against Kyo's should, shivering with pleasure and gasping for air. His lithe body was practically begging for Kyo, and after deeming Yuki ready, Kyo replaced his fingers with something bigger.

Yuki moaned as the cat slowly entered him, feeling like he would burst from being filled so beautifully. Once fully sheathed, Kyo grabbed Yuki's chin, bringing him closer for another passionate kiss. The rat breathed happily, enjoying being close to someone. Someone he'd always cared for in a way he could never feel for another.

The rat broke the kiss. "Kyo, I-I love you. I always have."

Kyo smiled, and kissed the silver haired boy as he began moving his hips. Yuki let the pleasure wash over him, and he got lost in it.

.

.

.

The two were cuddled up together, sleeping soundly when they were awoken by the sound of a car door slamming and voices. They both sat straight up before bolting up the stairs with all the clothes they could grab quickly so that Tohru, Momiji, and Haru wouldn't see them. They ran into their own rooms to get dressed.

Tohru called up the stairs. Kyo stepped out of his room wearing only pants, which wasn't all that odd for him.

"Oh hey, you're back! Did you have fun?"

Tohru had a puzzled look on her face. _Did _Kyo_ just ask me that?!_

"I had a lot of fun! Next time you and Yuki have to go too! Where is he?"

Kyo shrugged and muttered, "Hell if I know," before walking back into his room. Tohru stood there, still confused. Yuki stepped out, fully dressed.

"Hello, Tohru. How was your trip?"

She smiled at him, "It was wonderful! I was so happy that Hana and Uo were able to go with us this time, but I missed you and Kyo."

Yuki chuckled. "Perhaps we'll accompany you next time. Do you want me to help you with you bags?"

"Oh, no! I can get it! They're not heavy at all!"

Yuki nodded and Tohru smiled again before walking to her room. The rat could hear Momiji's voice carrying up the stairs, so he went down to talk with the others Zodiac members.

**I haven't written smut in so long, I apologize for this rubbish! I hope it's alright! And again, I'm sorry about not posting this as we had a LOT of storms and power outages. Review please, please, please! Probably 2-3 chapters before it's complete! **


	10. Chapter 10: What To Do

**I am utterly, the WORST person ever. I am a terrible author. I again, apologize for my absence. I've said it before, and I still don't understand why, but I'm just not super motivated when I'm home. When I was in school, 1,100+ word chapter in a 57 minute period was cake. Now it takes me 8+ hours to do it. I think I get too distracted. I do want to finish this story, but after that, I'll probably be super inactive again. I am, however, now on Wattpad as NoelleMonroe0 and asianfanfics as NoelleMonroe if you want to talk with me there. I started a GTOP story (Wattpad) because I got into KPOP and BIGBANG so yeah. **

**Anyway! I think I'll go to 12 chapters and end it. Any other stories I post here, I want to try to prewrite so I don't leave people hanging for so long. **

**Long note aside, let's get to it :) They're still OOC, I'm sorry. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Ten: What To Do**

As Yuki walked into the living room, he saw that Hana and Uo were there as well.

"Oh, hello. I wasn't expecting you two. How did it go?"

"It was very fun. Our Tohru was very happy."

Hana smiled as Uo added. "It was bomb. You guys should come next time."

"I'm glad." the rat smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I need to make a phone call."

He walked away as the others continued their previous conversation. He went to the phone and dialed the dragon's number.

He answered on the fourth ring.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey Hari. I have kind of an important question."

"_Alright, shoot."_

The teen took a breath. "It's kind of weird. I know you can erase memories, but can you dig into someone's past?"

He heard silence. "_What is this about, Yuki?"_

"Well, I was talking with Kyo this weekend, and he said some things."

"_Well… I technically could, but it would be immoral."_

"Even if he suggested that his mom's death wasn't suicide?"

The rat heard the elder take a sharp breath. "_Why would he think that it wasn't? Who could've?"_

"He suggested that it was his father. She was emotionally and physically abused by him. Kyo thinks he did it to get rid of him too because she protected him."

"_Well, that certainly is motive. Kyo's father is a cruel and spiteful man."_

The rat agreed. "So, do you think there is anything you can do? I wanted to call you before you brought Shigure home. Kyo wants to ask you as well."

"_I could bring the moron back early if you guys want to sit down with me and discuss this. This is a serious accusation, and if I did this and failed, we'd all suffer Akito's punishment."_

The silver haired boy immediately thought of Hatori's eye. He shuddered. "All we want is to talk for now. I think you should come over soon."

"_Alright. I'll go tell Shigure to be ready. I'll be there within the hour. See you later."_

"Bye."

The rat hung the phone back on it's cradle and quietly made his way upstairs. As he neared Kyo's room, he saw the cat's door open. He stood in the dorrway and watched the cat fuss over his rose. He was gently misting it and talking to it, as if he was trying to coax it into being green and alive immediately.

The rat walked into the room and touched Kyo's shoulder.

"It will take more than a day." He smiled at other boy.

Kyo smiled softly. "Yeah. I just want it to look more lively. Ya know?"

The rat nodded. "I understand. Give it a few days and it will perk up."

Kyo set the squirt bottle on his desk and leaned against the edge.

"What's happening down there?"

"Hana and Uo stuck around, I'm not sure how long they'll be here. But I called Hatori. He's gonna come by a little earlier."

"Did you ask him?"

"Sort of. I explained why we wanted to talk to him. He said he'd be here within the hour."

"So he'd actually consider doing this?" The cat looked surprised.

"Maybe. He said it was dangerous, especially if something went wrong."

The orange haired teen nodded. "Yeah, Akito would get really pissed. I mean he fucked up Hatori's eye because he wanted to get married. Makes you wonder what the hell he'd do to us."

Both stood in silence, knowing full well that Akito was capable of doing more than just hurting them. A lot more.

"Yuuukii! Kyyoooooooo!" Momiji's carried up to their ears.

The cat rolled his eyes. "Damnit." Yuki chuckled.

The prince stepped into the hall to see the rabbit coming up the stairs. "Yes?"

"Are you gonna come down and talk to everyone? Hana and Uo have to go soon!"

"I wouldn't mind. Stupid cat, what about you?!" Yuki hated the words, but he didn't know how they were supposed to act yet.

"What about me?"

"Come down stairs. Hana and Uo are leaving soon, so come talk to them."

"Why the hell do I care?"

Yuki heard the cat go out his window and knew he went to the roof.

.

.

.

Kyo sat alone on the roof, watching the trees leaves shake in the gentle breeze. He watched as Tohru's friends walked away. He sighed.

He was surprised by arms around his chest and a face buried into the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry I called you stupid." The rat's voice was quiet.

Kyo pulled Yuki's wrist away from his neck, forcing the other to sit beside him. He wrapped his arms around the silver haired boy, comforting him.

"It's alright. We have to be careful until we figure out how this going to work. Acting that way is normal. I mean, imagine how freaked out they'd be if they saw us like this."

Yuki nuzzled against Kyo's shoulder. "True. I don't like it though."

"I don't either."

They both looked up the street as the crunch of tires on gravel caught their attention. They moved off of the roof and went into Kyo's room. Yuki stepped into the hallway, seeing Hatori walking towards them.

"Hey."

The doctor looked at him with a nod.

"I told Shigure to keep Haru and Momiji distracted to we could talk."

Yuki nodded and lead Hatori into Kyo's room. He was sitting on his bed. Hatori walked to him and pulled the chair away from his desk and sat down. Yuki shut the door and moved closer to the other men.

"How are you doing, Kyo?"

The cat shrugged. "Better than to be expected, I guess."

The dragon nodded. "Did you really suggest that your father had something to do with your mother's passing?"

Kyo looked a bit taken aback. "Well, that was blunt."

"This is a serious accusation, I don't feel like beating around the bush. Did you?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, people know how irritated he'd get when mom stopped him from yelling at me, especially in front of family. He was a jerk."

"Being a jerk doesn't necessarily mean one is capable of murder."

"I saw him hit her, Hatori. Like, way more often than anyone should see someone get hit. That was a weekly thing. She always had bruises and cringed if any man got too close to her. She was afraid of him."

Hatori nodded. "I looked at her medical file before we came here. I don't know why the previous family doctor covered up the abuse, but there's some documentation of it. Did you ever see or hear something that would suggest more than abuse?"

"Well, I didn't fully understand some of the things he said at the time, but he was always warning her to behave or he'd make her sorry she disobeyed him."

"That… Jesus. He does have a check up scheduled in a few weeks, I can bump it up and check. I just do want you to understand that if I do this, we could all get hurt."

"Won't he be suspicious of you doing something with his mind?"

"Well, he needs a new shot, who's to say I can't him give a little something to help him relax?"

"Damn Hatori, that's dark." They looked at Yuki.

"This whole discussion is dark, Yuki. That is the easiest way I can think to actually get into head, short of getting him drunk, and he wouldn't drink with me."

"When can you do this?"

"Next week? Probably, and I do actually have to travel around when I would've seen your father, he just doesn't need to know I still could've seen him."

Kyo nodded and looked at the floor. "Thanks. I know this could end badly, but I appreciate you still doing it."

Hatori looked shock that the cat thanked him. "Uh, you're welcome. I'll call you after it's done to tell you what I see or if you two should run like hell."

The two teens chuckled, despite the meaning behind the elder's words. The dragon stood and bid them farewell before leaving them alone to think.

**Again, I am sorry that I haven't updated in so long. Like I said in my first A/N, I am on Wattpad and am currently working on a GTOP of BIGBANG fic on there, so if you're interested, maybe head over to my profile (NoelleMonroe0) and read it. Leave me a review, even if you yell at me and hate me for updating so slowly, I thank you for reading and supporting my story despite my current lack of motivation. -hugs- love you guys **


	11. Chapter 11: The Truth

**Well, I'm not surprised at the complete lack of reviews on chapter 10, I'm an asshole that never updates, so I guess I deserved the disappointment of being optimistic. I'm going to do the last two chapters and then I probably won't post on here for quite a while, unless I have a oneshot. Like I said last chapter, I want to prewrite stuff so I can post on at least a weekly or biweekly schedule. They're still OOC, sorry . This will not have a sequel. And FYI this note isn't meant to sound rude, I am just an ass for never updating lol so I am mad at myself for never doing what I say I will.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya. **

**Chapter Eleven: The Truth**

The next days passed in a blur of school and rushed conversations before bed. Yuki was watching Kyo's actions very closely, worried about what they would do if Hatori failed. They had passports, but they were still minors. Yuki didn't know where they could go that Akito wouldn't find them. The rat kept trying to push the thoughts from his head, but they always returned to him, usually when he was least expecting it. It seemed that Kyo was unaware to the thoughts that plagued the rat's mind, for which Yuki was grateful. Kyo had enough on his plate to worry about.

As they were walking home after getting Tohru to work at the end of the school week, Hatori drove up to them. They exchanged looks of concern.

"Get in."

They listened to the dragon and climbed into the back seat of the car. The ride to Shigure's house was silent and Kyo began to fidget the closer they got to the house. Yuki put his hand over Kyo's and gave him a reassuring smile.

By the time Hatori pulled up to the house, Kyo's hands were shaking visibly.

The dragon got out of the car and the teens followed suit , walking behind him to the door. They all went into the house, finding Shigure standing in the entry hall waiting for them.

"Well, Hari, how did it go?" Shigure didn't sound worried, but Yuki noticed his tense shoulders.

"Let's go sit down, this might take a while."

Hatori and the dog walked further into the house, but Kyo leaned against the wall, his breathing shallow.

"He didn't find anything, we're gonna be in trouble. Yuki, where are we supposed to go?"

Yuki put his hands of the orange haired boy's shoulders. "Kyo, we don't even know what he's going to say. Just breathe. I think if we had to run, he would have led with us needing to pack. Not talking. Just remember to breathe, okay?" The cat nodded. Yuki smiled and took Kyo's hand, pulling him away from the wall.

They slipped their shoes off and walked towards the kitchen where they could hear Hatori and Shigure talking. The doctor turned around as they entered the kitchen and he gestured for them to sit down. Once all four were seated, Hatori looked away from his mug of tea and instead focused his gaze at Kyo.

"You were right. I can't believe it, but you were right. Kyo, he killed her."

Kyo's eyes watered and he clenched his jaw. "Are you sure? Like 100 percent sure?"

Hatori nodded sadly. "I'll tell you if you want to know exactly what he did. But I'm not sure you do."

Kyo gripped the edge of the table, causing his knuckles to go white. "I need to know. He needs to understand why I want to fucking kill him. He needs to know I'll drag him to the deepest pits of hell."

Hatori looked at Shigure. "I don't want you to confront him Kyo. You don't need to get in trouble too. I am writing up my findings, and it is more than enough to get him sent to prison."

"You expect me not to do anything?! He killed her!" Kyo stood up, knocking his chair to the floor from his speed.

Hatori looked up at him calmly. "Prison will be punishment enough. Criminals generally don't like when someone deliberately hurts a child or puts them in harm's way. He did it to kill you. The other prisoners will find out, and he'll be attacked for wanting to harm his own flesh and blood. Please sit down, Kyo. We're on your side."

The cat glared at them, and grudgingly set his chair back on its legs before falling back onto it.

"Thank you. Now, like I said, if you are going to try and seek him out to hurt him, I won't tell you. I didn't get this information at great personal risk to all of us for you to go and get yourself into trouble anyway. Do you understand me?" The dragon was piercing Kyo with his gaze.

"Yes." Was the cat's quiet response.

"Good. Now, as you already knew, I had rescheduled his check up. He wasn't happy, but he knew it was now or wait weeks and lose his job because I will be traveling to Europe in a few days. He came in yesterday. I lied to him about the shots. There is only one vaccine he was behind on, but I told him that there was a second that would make him very drowsy, very quickly. I told him to just sleep on the couch in my office after I administered them."

Kyo smirked. "You actually drugged my dad?"

Hatori nodded. "He's never had a reason to think that I would do something like that. It was easy."

Shigure looked at him. "Does it bother you how good of a serial killer you would be?"

Hatori raised his mug to his lips and took a sip before chuckling darkly. "Not particularly, no. Anyway, though. Once he was out, I put him in kind of a trance. The mind is very easy to manipulate when it's at rest. It cannot lie when in this form of hypnosis, and the things he said made my skin crawl."

"He started off by saying terrible things about you, things you don't need to hear for the thousandth time from him. Then I asked him about your mom. I was appalled at his words. He told me how much pleasure he got from beating her. Said he liked how her blood felt on his knuckles. He said he liked when you saw him hurt her. He told me other things he liked to do to her, disgusting things. He told me that he wanted to hurt Kazuma to get to you."

"He wants to hurt Sensei? He's stupid if he thinks he could. Sensei would kick his ass."

"I'm sure that if your father attempted to hurt Kazuma in person, he'd regret it dearly. But your father has money. He could easily hire someone else to hurt him. I wouldn't worry though, now that I know all of this, he won't get a chance. Your father bluntly said that he chased your mom through the house and when he caught her, he dragged her to their bedroom where he had rope ready. He told me that watching the light fade from her eyes excited him and that he was livid when he couldn't see the same happen to you. Except, for you, he wanted to use his bare hands."

They all watched Kyo gently put his hand to his throat. "He hated me that much." His voice cracked. "What did I ever do?"

Yuki scooted his chair closer to the cat and grabbed Kyo's hand from his throat. "He's vindictive. It doesn't matter why he feels like that, he's irrelevant. Look at me." Kyo turned his face towards the silver haired boy. "He doesn't matter. He's going away. He won't hurt you."

Hatori and Shigure exchanged surprised looks before the doctor spoke. "Yuki's right. You don't need to think about him ever again. I doubt you would be called on for the trial aside from testifying about him being abusive. You'd only be expected to be there for that. He's going away, Kyo."

Kyo looked down and was startled to see that Yuki was holding his hand in front of Hatori and Shigure. He looked at the dragon. "So none of us are gonna get in trouble, right?"

Hatori shook his head. "No. If the scumbag had woken up and said anything about a dream when he was in the trance, we'd be in trouble. That would've meant he wasn't in as deep of a sleep as I needed him to be. But he didn't. I'll be taking my report to the police tomorrow morning. I have to get back to my office and write the rest of it up, but it won't take long to get him put away."

Hatori stood and walked over to the sink, placing his cup quietly in the basin and turning on the tap to put water in it. When he turned around he was shocked to see Kyo not only holding Yuki's hand, but he had also rested his head in the crook of the rat's neck. Said teen was talking quietly to Kyo and it looked like the stress was visibly melting from him. Shigure looked at the other and shrugged as he walked towards him.

Shigure and Hatori left the kitchen and as the dragon put on his shoes, Shigure whispered to him. "Maybe a bit more than talking happened last weekend."

The dragon snorted. "Pervy dog."

Shigure responded by panting at him and giving a small "woof!" which earned him a smack on the shoulder.

"Goodnight Hari."

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Night."

The dog began to walk back to the kitchen as the door shut, but was shocked when the teens came out towards him and walked past him.

"Where's the fire?"

Kyo began putting his shoes back on. "Gonna go pick Tohru up from work."

Shigure looked at the clock on the wall. "I'll be damned. It's time already. Watch out for creepers in the dark then. Ta ta!"

With that the dog disappeared into his study.

"He's insane." Was all Kyo could say.

Yuki laughed and opened the door. As they set out into the cool evening air, the cat felt a bit at ease knowing the truth.

**Gonna have one more chapter and then this will finally be complete. If I post here more, it will either mostly be oneshots, or stuff I've written ahead instead of as I go. I am sorry that I left this story for so long, I mean September 26, 2015 to now? That's pretty pathetic and I am ashamed that once I left school I stopped writing as much. I am going to MAKE myself write the last chapter tomorrow and post it when I am done. Anyone who liked this story, thank you for reading and for those who left reviews, thank you for your words. I'm sorry that I'm a liar about my updates.**


	12. Chapter 12: Happily Ever After?

**Final chapter! I, as always find myself apologizing for being absent, but while there were points where I just didn't want to write, there were more points where I felt so utterly useless that I wanted to die. My anxiety and dysphoria are not under control, so my emotions have no chill and go haywire from time to time. But here is the last chapter, so that I can finally say that I am done. I know how much it frustrates me to find a fic I really like that the author abandoned, and I hate that I became that author. So from now on, any chaptered story I post here, is going to be written in advance and not posted until it is complete. **

**Typical note, but as always they are extremely OOC. If you stuck around this long for this terrible fic, thank you, this was a long term thing apparently and I am happy to be finished with it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim rights to Fruits Basket. All rights belong to Natsuki Takaya.**

**Chapter Twelve: Happily Ever After?**

Kyo was standing on the roof at school, looking out over the city. He always enjoyed the end of the school year, he could let his guard down a bit because he wouldn't be constantly around classmate until the next term. The end of this year was different though. This year, he had no fears. He had a boyfriend, the most unlikely of people were now close friends, and he felt at peace with his past.

The trial had not been fun, but seeing the rage seething from every pore on his father's body had been satisfying. He'd been sent to prison for murder and conspiracy to murder. Kyo's testimony had give the entire courtroom chills.

Kyo smiled as slender arms wrapped around his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" Yuki's voice sounded muffled.

Kyo raised his right arm and twisted Yuki into place next to him, resting his arm around his shoulders.

"Not much."

The rat snorted. "Liar."

The orange haired teen smiled. "Ok, well this break is gonna be really different. Like I have you, and Tohru's friends kinda like me now. I guess I'm thinking about how much I've changed. It's been an interesting year."

Yuki looked up at Kyo and kissed his jaw. "I'd say this year has been pretty damn great though."

Kyo smiled. "Yeah. I guess I never could see myself like this."

"Like what?"

"Happy."

The silver haired boy smiled as he buried his face into Kyo's shoulder. The cat put his other arm around Yuki and rested his chin on his head.

"Are we gonna be late for our last period?"

Yuki stepped back and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "Yeah, we'd better get down there. I bet Tohru is wondering where we are."

The car smirked as he began walking towards the stairs. "How many people have caught on about us?"

"Well, definitely not Tohru. Hana and Uo I'm sure, maybe some of my fellow student council members. Haru knows, he always gives me weird looks now." Yuki replied, following Kyo into the stairwell.

The orange haired boy laughed as he walked down the stairs. "Haru looks at everybody weirdly."

They walked into the hall, weaving around other students to get to their homeroom. When they entered the classroom, Tohru waved at them to join her and her friends. Yuki stopped and smiled at the fact that Kyo was willingly walking over to them. After a moment he followed, glad that this was his reality, happy to go home with someone he loved. He was happy to see the cat looking less stressed than he'd ever seen him.

_I guess the cat caught the rat finally, just not in the way either of us intended. That's ok, life is meant to be unpredictable. We're happy and that's all that matters. _

**END **

**So that's it I guess haha I know my final chapters are generally disappointing since they're short wrap up drabbles instead of an actual chapter. I wanted this story to be something else, but I still like where it went. I hit so many snags and took so many breaks that it was inevitable that the final product would differ from the idea. I hope anyone who reads this liked it and understands that this was a crappy fic cuz every time I got back to it, I'd been gone for a while and was out of practice with writing. I'd appreciate reviews, but I won't force anyone to tell me their thoughts. Check my bio to find me on others fanfiction sites. (ie wattpad, ao3, etc...) Thanks for reading if you made it this far.**


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